Combined folding crib and playpen



5, 1952 F. E. WAGONER COMBINED FOLDING CRIB AND PLAYPEN 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 24, 1946 mmvrox. Fm/rc/sfi Wage/1e? Aug. 5, 19 v F. E. WAGONER 2,605,482

COMBINED FOLDING CRIB AND PLAYPEN Filed June 24, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 uvvzmoa. 54170.5 5. M900 Patented Aug. 5, 1952 ES PATENT "OFFICE This invention relates to furniture of household character vand particularly to such structure infthe-nature of a combined crib and play pen havingthe ability of being completely col-,

lapsed for storage and transportation.

' ne of .the important objects of this invention 1 is to provide a criband play penstructure wherein the side and end panels thereof are so designed and constructed as to be independently usable as .a play pen when the same are disassociated from the bed unit of the structure and without a1- tering or effecting the usefulness of the said bed unit. 7

Another object of this invention isto provide a-crib and play pen structurehaving collapsible and foldable partsxcapable of being condensed into a compact package form and quickly reassembled for use without theemployment of special tools or equipment.

Further aims of the invention are important and include the manner in which the bed unit forming a part of the structure is braced and supported by a number of specially designed posts, which posts are upwardly extended above a unique platform and equipped with brackets for receiving fastening means for a unitary self-supporting, substantially rectangular enclosure that maybe used as a play pen.

Additional aims and objects of the invention willappear during thecourse of the following specification referring to the accompanying draw-' ing, wherein: 1 V

Fig. 1 a perspective viewof a combined foldinglcrib and play pen madein accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of a portion of the same at one corner thereof. 1 r

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view takenon line IIIIIIofFig.1. i

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one end of the combined folding crib and play pen.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line V--V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner of interconnecting the side runners of the bed unit.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the play pen that is formed when the side and end panels of the structure are entirely removed from the bed unit; and h -Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the removable bracket which forms a part of the play pen as illustrated in Fig. 7.

. It is realized that heretofore infant beds and i play pen structures have been designedfor the v Francis E. Wagoner, Miami, Okla.

j Application June 24, 1946, Serial No. 678,908

' "sclaims. (01. 5-93) purpose of utilizing parts thereof as a bed unit and as a playpen but such structures have not been capable of simultaneous separate employment because some of the essential elements or parts of either the bed or play pen unit have been common to both of said units and concur rent employment has been impossible.

The structurecontemplated bythis invention is not only capable of fulfilling the broad objects with respect to providing separate and simultaneously usable play pen and bed units but renders it possible to quickly combine the said units in order that the bed portion of the device may have the characteristics of a crib with high side and end panels that prevent the occupant from falling from the bed. h

The form of the invention chosen for illustra tion is shown in .the accompanying drawings wherein the numeral l6 broadly designates a bed unit, while the number 12 indicates a substantially rectangular enclosure that is quickly separable from the bed unit In and usable as a play pen as illustrated in Fig. 7. 1

The bed unit' In includesajnumb'er of corner posts l4 having openings I6 therethrough for the reception of side runners I8 forming a part of a platform more fully hereinafter described. Each post I4 is braced against accidental displacement by side braces 20 and end braces-22 and 24, the character whereof is such asvto allow quick collapsing of bed unit' I6. Side braces 20 are pivotally attached as at 26 to the respective posts I4, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the opposite end 10f these side braces 20 are removably attached to bolts 28 and 30, the latter of whichextends completely across bed unitln from one side runner l8'to the other to form a central tie-bar. This. tie-bar 36 hasa shoulderin the form of a nut 32 provided thereon against which the over lapping side runners l8 are clamped by a thumb nut 34. Side runners l8 are sectional in character and the proximal ends are formed as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 to present an overlapping length which does not increase the cross sectional area of theside runners.

Side runners I8. on each longitudinal side of bed unit [0 are identical and the ends thereof are shouldered as at 36 to bear against the inner faces of posts [4, when thejred'uced diameters'of runners 8 at the ends thereof are passed through holes IS in the posts. The reduced diameters of runners l8 are sufliciently'long to pass completely throughposts l4 and enter sockets 38 formed-in cross heads 40 that pass throughaloop 42 formed at each end of the fabric platform 44. There is Fig. 1. Such arrangement of the bracing permits; a collapsing of the entire unit Ill as will be more I fully hereinafter set down.

Each post [4 has a pair of perforated ears 50 on one side thereof to overlap rails 52 of the play pen unit when the latter is associated'with the bed unit ID in forming a crib or protecting en-. closure around platform 44. The play pen unit has a pair of end panels 54 anda pair of side panels 56. Each panel is formed of an upper and lower rail 52 with a number of slats 58 extending between the said rails 52-and joined thereto "by screws, rivets or analogous means 69 topermit relative rotation between r'ails' 'and'slats 52 and 58 respectively. a

v A washer 52 is interposed between each slat 58 and the proximal rail 52 to allow shifting of the rails and slats to a position where the same are in substantial parallelism after the panels 54 and 56 haveibeenl entirely removed from association with bed unit If).

r The rails 52 forming a part of end panels 54 are provided with perforated coupling elements 64 7 which overlap rails 52 of side panels 56, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Rails 52 of sidepanels 56 are provided with openings therethrough that registerwith the perforations in coupling elements 64 and which also register with the openings in cars on posts l4. When these openings are in register, a rod 66 is passed therethroughto join the bed unit 10' to the enclosure or play pen portion [2. Side panels 56 are sectional and the proximal ends of upper and lower rails 52 are hingedly interconnected as at 68 to allow the two sections of the side panels 56 to be brought into superimposed relation when the device is disassembled, Icy-loosening of setscrews 12 and removal of rods 66 and made ready for collapsing to a small package condition.

A link In bridges the ends of rails 52 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 and when links It are swung to a position where setscrew 12 is engaged by a notch in thelink, the said setscr'ew is tighten-ed and the entire length of side panels 56 is rendered rigid and safe to hold the weight of an infant when in the crib or play pen. 1

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the rectangular enclosure comprising end panels 54 and side panels 56 is unitary, self-supporting and a separate element from bed unit It.

When rods 66 are withdrawn from ears 56 and thenreplaced in the openings formed through coupling elements 64 and through the openings in rails 52, the play pen is independently usable in a condition shown in Fig. '7. When the rectangular enclosure comprising the end panels 54 and the side panels 56 is mounted upon bed unit l0, posts I4 maintain said panels against pivotal movement about rods 66. When the said panels are to create a play pen of the character shown in Fig. *7, brackets 14having down-turned ears l6 and 18 to engage the sides and one edge of rails 52 are mounted in the corners to'insure rigidity of the play pen unit.

With the enclosure [2 entirely removed from bed unit 10, the latter may be used as a cot or bed without side protection but the rigidity of the bed unit is not affected by removal of the said panels 54 and 56. v

One of the advantages arising from the combined folding crib and play pen is that of being able to collapse the entire assembly into a com- .pact bundle where it may be dropped into a canvasbag and carried fromfplace to place without occupying a large amount of space.

i When the structure is to be collapsed from the condition shown in Fig. 1, the first step in the operationis to remove rods 66 from their places passing through the perforations in ears 50, the. openings through side rails 52, the openings in fc'oupling elements 64 and the bore in side runners 18 of the bed unit. End panels 54 will thereupon be readily removable and side panels 56 may be lifted from place through an upward movement that will disengage pin 82 from hole 84 provided in side runners 18 near the point of interconnection between the sections thereof When side panels 56 are separated from bed unit It], setscrews I2 are loosened and links 10 swung from the place where the two sections of side panels 56 are hinged to a superimposed condition where slats 58 may be swung together about their pivotal connections with side rails 52. Side rails 52 approach each other and are substantially parallel when the edges of slats 58 come into contact with each other. Both end panels are likewise collapsed. v

The bed unit I0 is collapsed by removing the ends of braces 20 from their connection with bolt 28 and connecting rod 30 whereupon the said braces may be swung to aposition against the sides of posts I4. As this operation occurs the overlapping portions of side runners It should be disengaged to allow'folding fabric platform 'or sheet 44 on a central median line. This folding can occur after cross-heads 40 are withdrawn from the ends of side runners l8 and also from loops 42 in platform 44. The length of crossheads 40 is substantially the same as the length of each of the two sections of side runners l8 and when platform 44 is folded along itsmedian transverse line, the two cross-heads 46 may be placed upon the folded platform and rolled thereinto without removing the sections of side runners [8 from loops 46in fabric platform 44.

The end'braces 22 and 24 are nextlremoved from the post to which they are, affixed bysetscrews 48 whereupon these braces are swung into parallel superimposed relation-with the posts 1 4 to which their ends are pivotally joined. Thisleaves each post asep'ar'ate unit'and all four of the posts are then placed in side-by-side condition with the other parts of the structure'for introduction into a canvas bag of appropriate size. N

The preferred form of the invention has been shown and described but vit will be obvious to those skilled in the art'thatstructures having physical characteristicsv different from those chosen for thisspecification may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims. I A v Having thus 'described'my invention what I claim as new and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7 L V 1. Crib structure comprising a bed. unit including a number of upright posts and a'horizontal platform secured to the posts'intermediate the ends thereof; an enclosureabove said platform and including a number of upright panels;

and releasable structure for each post respectively for joining the latter to the enclosure and interconnecting the panels whereby the posts support the enclosure, said structures each including a number of perforated brackets on the posts and on one proximal panel respectively, openings formed in another proximal panel, and

a rod passing through the brackets and the openings.

2. Crib structure comprising a bed unit including a number of upright posts and a horizontal platform secured to the posts intermediate the ends thereof; an enclosure above said platform and including a number of upright panels; and releasable structure for each post respectively for joining the latter to the enclosure and interconnecting the panels whereby the posts support the enclosure, said structures each including a number of perforated brackets on the posts and on one proximal panel respectively, openings formed in another proximal panel, and a rod passing through the brackets and the openings, said enclosure resting on certain of the brackets and certain of the panels having a pin releasably joining the same with the platform.

3. Crib structure comprising a bed unit including a number of upright posts and a horizontal platform secured to the posts intermediate the ends thereof; an enclosure above said platform and including a number of upright panels; and releasable structure for each post respec: tively for joining the latter to the enclosure and interconnecting the panels, said structures each including a number of perforated brackets on the posts and on one proximal panel respectively, openings formed in another proximal panel, and a rod passing through the brackets and theopenings, said rods being adapted to interconnect the panels when the enclosure is separated from the bed unit and said rods are released from the brackets on the posts.

FRANCIS E. WAGONER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 852,296 Raymond Apr. 30, 1907 929,792 Seifert Aug. 3, 1909 1,463,459 Comstock July 31, 1923 1,989,324 Levine Jan. 29, 1935 2,266,370 Kratky Dec. 16, 1941 2,348,012 Levi May 2, 1944 2,412,005 Parsons Dec. 3, 1946 

